Kohl’s Announces 27 Store Closures Across 15 States as Leadership Change Raises New Questions About Its Future

For generations of shoppers, a trip to Kohl’s was part of an ordinary routine. It was the place to look for clothing, pick up household essentials, find a gift, or take advantage of a familiar sale without traveling far from home.

That is why the announcement in January 2025 caught the attention of so many customers.

Kohl’s revealed plans to close 27 underperforming stores across 15 states, leaving employees, regular shoppers, and local communities facing an unwelcome change. The closures were expected to take place by April, marking a significant moment for a retailer already working through a difficult period.

The announcement also arrived just days before a leadership transition. Tom Kingsbury was preparing to hand the CEO position to Ashley Buchanan, who was coming from Michaels.

For Kohl’s, the decision was presented as part of a broader effort to strengthen the business. For the people connected to those locations, however, it meant something much more personal: a familiar store was about to disappear.

Why Kohl’s Decided to Close 27 Stores

On January 9, 2025, Kohl’s officially announced that it would close 27 stores it described as underperforming.

The affected locations were spread across Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.

California had the largest number of affected stores, with 10 locations included in the announcement.

The company explained that the decision was intended to support its long-term business strategy. Although Kohl’s continued to describe much of its store network as healthy and profitable, management determined that the selected locations were not performing at the level needed to justify keeping them open.

The closures represented a relatively small portion of a chain with more than 1,150 stores at the time. Still, the number alone did not tell the whole story.

Every location served customers who had grown accustomed to shopping there. Some people visited regularly for clothing and home products, while others relied on the store because it was conveniently located near their homes.

When a familiar retailer closes, customers may find alternatives. But that does not mean replacing the convenience and habits built around a nearby store is effortless.

The Employees Facing an Uncertain Future

Behind every store closure are employees who must make decisions about their next steps.

For workers at the affected Kohl’s locations, the announcement meant preparing for a transition they had not necessarily expected. Some had spent years serving regular customers, helping people find products, organizing merchandise, and keeping daily operations running.

A store may be part of a national chain, but the people working inside it often form a close local team.

Kohl’s said associates at the affected stores had been informed and offered either a competitive severance package or the opportunity to apply for other available positions within the company.

That provided some options, but it could not remove the uncertainty.

Employees considering another position might have faced longer commutes, different schedules, or the challenge of finding work elsewhere. Others had to think about how the change would affect their household budgets and future plans.

For people who had built their working lives around a particular location, the closure was not simply a corporate decision. It was a disruption to everyday life.

Customers Also Had to Adjust

Regular customers often develop relationships with the stores they visit.

They know where their favorite departments are, recognize familiar employees, and understand the layout well enough to make a quick shopping trip. For some shoppers, especially those who prefer visiting physical stores rather than ordering everything online, that familiarity matters.

A nearby Kohl’s could be a convenient place to shop for clothing, shoes, bedding, kitchen products, and seasonal items.

When the location closes, customers must decide where to go instead. They may visit another Kohl’s farther away, choose a different retailer, or move more of their shopping online.

These changes can seem minor from a corporate perspective, but they affect how people organize their everyday routines.

A store closure can also affect nearby businesses that benefit from shopping traffic. Restaurants, service providers, and other retailers in the same commercial area may notice fewer visitors.

That does not mean every surrounding business will suffer the same consequences. However, it helps explain why a closure can matter to more people than those directly employed by the retailer.

A Leadership Change Arrives at a Critical Moment

The store announcement came at a particularly important time for Kohl’s.

Tom Kingsbury was preparing to leave the CEO position, with Ashley Buchanan scheduled to take over on January 15, 2025. Buchanan had previously led Michaels, bringing experience from another major retail business.

The timing attracted attention because the company was making difficult decisions just as a new leader was preparing to take responsibility for its next chapter.

Kingsbury had described the closures as necessary actions intended to support the company’s long-term growth strategy. The announcement made clear that management believed concentrating resources on stronger locations was preferable to continuing to operate stores that were struggling.

For Buchanan, the transition meant inheriting a business with several challenges to address.

Retail shopping habits had changed considerably. Customers had more online choices, competition remained intense, and traditional department stores had to give people compelling reasons to visit their physical locations.

The new leadership team would need to consider how Kohl’s could remain relevant while managing costs and improving the shopping experience.

Could a Smaller Store Network Help Kohl’s?

Closing underperforming stores can help a retailer reduce expenses and focus resources on locations with stronger prospects.

But a smaller footprint does not automatically guarantee better results.

A company still needs customers to visit its stores, trust its products, and believe that shopping there offers something worthwhile.

For Kohl’s, that meant continuing to pay attention to several important areas.

Product selection was one. Shoppers need reasons to return, whether they are looking for everyday clothing, household essentials, seasonal products, or gifts.

The in-store experience was another. A clean, organized store with helpful employees can make a difference, especially when customers have the option of ordering similar products online.

Digital convenience also matters. Online shopping, store pickup, returns, and an easy-to-use website can help connect physical locations with customers who prefer a mixture of online and in-person shopping.

These improvements offered possible ways forward, but they were not guaranteed solutions. Kohl’s still had to demonstrate that its strategy could attract shoppers and support a healthier business.

The 27 Locations Included in the Announcement

The announced closures covered the following locations:

• Alabama: Spanish Fort
• Arkansas: Little Rock West
• California: Balboa in San Diego, Encinitas, Fremont, Mountain View, Napa, Pleasanton, Point West in Sacramento, San Rafael, San Luis Obispo, and Westchester
• Colorado: Arapahoe Crossing in Aurora
• Georgia: Duluth
• Idaho: Boise
• Illinois: Plainfield and Spring Hill in West Dundee
• Massachusetts: Stoughton
• New Jersey: East Windsor
• Ohio: Blue Ash and Forest Park in Cincinnati
• Oregon: Portland Gateway
• Pennsylvania: Pottstown
• Texas: North Dallas
• Utah: Riverton
• Virginia: Herndon and Williamsburg

The list showed that the decision was not limited to one region. Communities across the country were preparing to lose a familiar shopping destination.

What the Closures Meant for Kohl’s Future

The January 2025 announcement was about more than shutting down 27 stores. It highlighted the difficult choices facing a traditional retailer trying to adapt to a changing market.

Kohl’s needed to manage expenses while giving customers reasons to keep shopping with the company. It also needed to support employees through a period of uncertainty and maintain the strength of the locations that remained open.

The leadership transition added another layer of attention. Ashley Buchanan was taking over at a moment when shoppers, employees, and investors wanted to see how the company would approach its next phase.

A smaller store network could be one part of the strategy, but the longer-term challenge was much bigger: building a retail experience that customers would continue to choose.

For the employees leaving affected locations, the announcement marked the end of a working chapter. For customers, it meant adjusting familiar routines. And for the communities involved, it was another reminder that even well-known national retailers can change the local shopping landscape.

The real test for Kohl’s was not simply whether it could operate with fewer stores. It was whether the company could make the remaining stores—and its online business—strong enough to earn customers’ loyalty in the years ahead.

Did you regularly shop at one of the Kohl’s locations included in the announcement? What do you think matters most when a familiar store closes: convenience, prices, product selection, or the employees who made shopping there feel welcoming?